Willie Nelson arrives at the 11th Annual John Varvatos Stuart House Benefit on Sunday, April 13, 2014, in West Hollywood, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Willie Nelson arrives at the 11th Annual John Varvatos Stuart House Benefit on Sunday, April 13, 2014, in West Hollywood, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Photo: Richard Shotwell / Associated Press

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WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - APRIL 13: Willie Nelson and family performs onstage at the John Varvatos 11th Annual Stuart House Benefit presented by Chrysler, Kids Tent by by Hasbro at John Varvatos Boutique on April 13, 2014 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images for John Varvatos) less

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - APRIL 13: Willie Nelson and family performs onstage at the John Varvatos 11th Annual Stuart House Benefit presented by Chrysler, Kids Tent by by Hasbro at John Varvatos Boutique on April ... more

Photo: Gabriel Olsen / Getty Images for John Varvatos

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WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - APRIL 13: Musician Willie Nelson performs at the John Varvatos 11th Annual Stuart House Benefit presented by Chrysler, Kids Tent by by Hasbro at John Varvatos Boutique on April 13, 2014 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images for John Varvatos) less

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - APRIL 13: Musician Willie Nelson performs at the John Varvatos 11th Annual Stuart House Benefit presented by Chrysler, Kids Tent by by Hasbro at John Varvatos Boutique on April 13, 2014 ... more

Photo: Gabriel Olsen / Getty Images for John Varvatos

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LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: (L-R) Musicians Micah Nelson, Willie Nelson and Lukas Nelson attend the 11th Annual John Varvatos Stuart House Benefit at John Varvatos on April 13, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Buchan/Getty Images) less

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: (L-R) Musicians Micah Nelson, Willie Nelson and Lukas Nelson attend the 11th Annual John Varvatos Stuart House Benefit at John Varvatos on April 13, 2014 in Los Angeles, ... more

Photo: David Buchan / Getty Images

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LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: (L-R) Musicians Micah Nelson, Willie Nelson and Lukas Nelson attend the 11th Annual John Varvatos Stuart House Benefit at John Varvatos on April 13, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Buchan/Getty Images) less

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: (L-R) Musicians Micah Nelson, Willie Nelson and Lukas Nelson attend the 11th Annual John Varvatos Stuart House Benefit at John Varvatos on April 13, 2014 in Los Angeles, ... more

Photo: David Buchan / Getty Images

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LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: Singer Willie Nelson attends the 11th Annual John Varvatos Stuart House Benefit at John Varvatos on April 13, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Buchan/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: Singer Willie Nelson attends the 11th Annual John Varvatos Stuart House Benefit at John Varvatos on April 13, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Buchan/Getty Images)

Photo: David Buchan / Getty Images

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LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: Singer Willie Nelson attends the 11th Annual John Varvatos Stuart House Benefit at John Varvatos on April 13, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Buchan/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: Singer Willie Nelson attends the 11th Annual John Varvatos Stuart House Benefit at John Varvatos on April 13, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Buchan/Getty Images)

Photo: David Buchan / Getty Images

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Willie Nelson about to become fifth degree black belt

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Country legend and Texas icon Willie Nelson could kick your butt in a fight. No, not with his trusty guitar Trigger or throwing stars strategically hidden under his cowboy hat.

Nelson is due to receive his fifth degree black belt in the art of Gong Kwon Yu Sul, a modern Korean martial arts system, on April 28 at a martial arts studio in Austin, according to his publicist, Elaine Shock.

The following day, the troubadour will turn 81, which should make us all feel incredibly lazy.

Shock said that for the past 20 years Nelson has been training in the art of Tae Kwon Do and Gong Kwon Yu Sul, often practicing while in his bus on his seemingly never-ending tour with his family of musicians.

Um said Nelson first came to his studio 20 years ago with his wife and kids to sign them up for classes. He said Nelson stuck with the classes after his family got older and moved to Hawaii. They struck up a friendship over martial arts that has stayed strong.

“The man has great discipline,” said Um on Wednesday. “He shows up on time and he’s always ready to train.”

At Nelson’s age — he was in his sixties when he came to Um — his teacher worried he would get hurt on the studio’s wooden floors. Um said Nelson more than holds his own practicing the mixed martial art, which features elements of kickboxing and Judo.

“At first, I wanted to go easy on him and he did everything I told him to do,” Um said. “He’s my oldest student. Most people stop training in their forties,” Um said. “He comes to work out when he’s in town for a show or recording.”

Um said Nelson routinely works out after concerts and he sends Um videos of himself training in parks while out on tour to be critiqued. He’s never sparred with Nelson himself, though. Um himself is in his sixties now. Nelson now has a higher belt ranking than even his grand master Um.

The extent of my own fighting skills ends at half-forgotten techniques learned in Marine Corps boot camp, plus one afternoon of Krav Maga filmed for a TV segment. Nelson could take me in a fight with no problem.

Nelson’s publicist said the singer is no stranger to martial arts, having studied kung fu in Nashville when he was still a struggling songwriter in the ’60s. You need a little extra something to fight your way out of a Nashville beer hall, after all. He had always been an athlete in high school, and he used to run marathons for charity when he could. There is photographic proof.